Vehicle-headlight.



P. J. E, GEREN.

VEHCLE HBADL'G-HF.

@.PPLILGMfoN FILED um 1o.

Patented, Dec.. 30,

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vQ, W1

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE. i

VEHICLE-HEADLIGHT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patent ed Dee. 30, 1913.

Application led December 10, 1912. Serial No. 735,999.`

I the liianiier of eonneeling the lid or eover Be it known that l, PATRICK J. E. OBinnx, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehlele-Headlights` of which the following is aspeeiliealion. i

lhe prima iv ohjeet of this invention is to prevent the glare of the headlight of an 'autonioliile, or other vehicle from interfering with the vision of the driver or operator of a passing inaeliiue or vehicle and at the saine time to enalile sueh headlight to illuminate the roadway so that the operator may avoid dangerous plaees or collision with any oliject..

'lhe invention eonsists essentially of a Inl or rover arranged in sueh relationship to the headlight, as t'oeontrol the light at night or to form a prot'eetor for thf,` lens-when the headlight is not. in operation, said lidl or rover being ulider control of the operator of the ear to he moved to the required posi- 25 tion.

'lhe invention rom `ts of the novel features. details of eonst'aietion and eouiliiiiation of parts. whieh hereinafter will lie more partieularly set ,l'orlln illustrated in the ae coniptntving drawing. and pointed wat ni the. appended iila'iin.

Referring' to the drawing` forminga p'art ol the s|aeiliea|ion. Figure l is a detail view in perspeetive. showing the applieation of the invention to the headlights of an 'antoniohile. Fig. 2 is a sectional detail. lig.

3 is a further detail. showing more elearly to the roek shaft aml the manner of mounting the latter upon thelamp. I

(orresponding and likey parts are reterred lo in the. following ileseiiption. and indiealed in all the views ofthe drawing. h v the saine reference characters.

'lhe numeral l designates the headlights of :in automoliile. the same being of 'any make or type and arranged. at the sides of the machine in the arcustomed inaiiiiei'. rock shaft. .2 is mounted upon the headlanips in anyv manner and is rovided with lids or eovers 3 arranged to e ose over the front of the lamps so as to eonipletely proteet the lenses when the lamps are not in ilse. When the lamps are lighted the roel: shaft oecupies a position .to hold. the lids or covers :l open, t ie saine. xrcnpying a position above the lam s and projecting substantially horizontal t erefrom. or covers is usually sufficient to prevent the glare of the headlights from materially intei-tering with the vision of the driver of u. passing vehiele, but should it be deelne". prudent to close the lids so as to direct the rays of light upon the road immediately in advance of the machine and prevent such rays from rising to such an elevation as to produee a glare which would blind or affect the vision of the driver of a passing machine lids at an angle to the horizontal, suitable eonneetioiis bein rovided between the rock shaft and a pediip convenient reach of the driver. A spring` 4 'normally exerts a pressure to hold thehds or envers 3 open or in an approximately horizontal' position. The covers usually eonsist of metal disks of u, size to extend over the lront of the lamps so as to rotect the lenses and to confine the rays of ight.

.ln order that the lids orcovers of, the lamps may be under control an operating device is arranged within the car, the Same eonsisting of a foot stall 5, which is attaehed to the inner end of a bar 6, which passes thro-ugh the dash 7 and has its outer or front end pivot ally connected loan arin 8 extending from the roek shaft 2. The bar 6 has a plurality. of notches 9 which are adapted to engage a part of the dash so as to hold the lidsl or lamp covers 3 in the required position against. the action of the spi-ine' l. A spring l() is secured to the dash or ot ier part ofthe vehiele and exerts a jpressure upon the hai.' 6 to hold ya iiotehed portion thereof in engagement with the dash.

lVhen the lam is eoversl l projeet l'orwardl therefrom in an approximately horizontal plane. heing held in sueh position hy the spring 4. -When t-lie lamps are not 'required for use.. as during the day. or :it sueh times when the liendlights are not required. the lids or covers 3 elose against. the fronts of the lamps, thereby proteeting the lenses. When thelilds are elosed tht-.har l is pushed forward and a noteh 9 is held in engagement with the dash hymeans of the spring l0. lVhen the headlights are iii-operation and the driver observes tlie approaeh of a. vehicle and it is required to confine. the rays of light so as to preclude the possihilityof the glare inter- Tlns position of the lids the rock shaft. may be turned to throw-the or other control within are lighted the lids or fering with the vision vof the driver of the approachingr vehicle the operator of the car may press the bar 6 forward and thereby close the lids or covers to a greater-extent, thereby directing the rays of 4light in a downward direction and shielding the lamps to such an extent as not to inconvenience the operator or driver of the approaching vehicle or machine. vWhen the road is clear the bar 6 may be released by an upward and forward pressure upon the foot stall 5 so that the lids or covers may open to their full extent, thereby enabling the full scope 'of the headlight to be obtained.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with. the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while l have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which l now consider to be the, best embodiment lthereof, I desire to have 'it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are wit-hinv the scope of the` claim appended hereto.

- A set collar 11 is secured upon the` bar t3 and limits the rearward movement `thereof whenthe lids 3 are thrown open to the desired point. Upward pressure of the foot againstthe under side of the bar 6 will lift the notches 9 clear ol' the dash and admltof the spring. L'l opening the lids. pressure upon the foot stall 5 will close the lids to a greater or less extent as may be required.

llaving'thus described the invention wha is claimed as new, is

ln L-oinbimition side lamps, a shaft arranged above the lamps and mounted there-v on, arms connected with end portions of the shaft, rovers for the lamps secured to the said arms, a spring mounted upon the shaft and having one end connected thereto and it opposite end connected with one of the lamps, said springr normally tending to turn the shaft to hold the lids open, a bar having a notched portion, an arm extending from the shat'l and having the' notched bar conneeied thereto, a guide for receiving the ue-fehed portion ot the bar, a stop mounted upon ilu notched bar and adapted to engage the guide to limit. the opening of the. before nu-nlioned lids, and a spring connected with the juide and adapted to exert a pressure u pen the. ba r to hold 'its notched port-ion in engagement with the guide.

ln testimony whereof 1 allix my signature in presence ol two witnesses.'

y PATRICK J. E. OBRIEN.

Witnesses:

Lm; 'rnwau'r Gu.\usn, An'rmiu RUSSELL.

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